ONSTED — Eleven Onsted Community Schools students were asked to stay home from school Monday as part of a state mandate that prohibits unvaccinated students from attending classes following a recent report of several cases of chickenpox.

Five cases of chickenpox were recently reported in the school district, enough to prompt the Lenawee County Health Department to put into effect an exclusionary clause that prohibits students who have not been vaccinated against the illness from attending school for up to 21 days.

The health department can make such a mandate through the Michigan Public Health Code.

A letter from the health department sent out Thursday says any student who was not protected against chickenpox or who had not already had the illness would be prohibited from attending school for that 21-day period. However, a revised letter sent out later Thursday said those students could return as soon as Dec. 12, said Superintendent Mark Haag.

Students who receive the first of two vaccines and schedule the second dose could return to school sooner than Dec. 12. Fourteen additional students who were absent Monday had yet to be determined by school officials whether they would also be affected by the exclusion mandate.

“We are still examining the number of cases, but as of today, 11 are definitely excluded and will not be back until the 12th,” Haag said.

Not counting the five students who are out with chickenpox, Haag said, “no more than 25 will be excluded.”

No additional cases of chickenpox have been reported at Onsted.

Those who do not get vaccinations tend to do so out of personal or religious convictions, the superintendent said.

Haag said the those students who are absent because of the exclusion mandate will not have those days counted against them in their records. The district is working with those students to make sure they have their assignments so they can do their schoolwork at home.